Transportation means



June 18, 1940. A. F. DOOLEY ET AL TRANSPORTATION MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 10, 1935 Fig. 1

INVENTORS.

Md. wf iw Q} Ham-m1 ATTORNEY.

June 18, 1940. A. F. DOOLEY ET AL TRANSPORTATION MEANS Filed Oct. 10, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mob ATTORNEY.

A. F. DOOLEY El AL TRANSPORTATION MEANS June 18, 1940.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 10, 1935 n if ougg

ATTORNEY.

' Patented June 18,1940

um'rso sTAras rat est tes acumen ramsroarsriom mans Arthur F. Dooley, Saiem, and Galvin llli. Stone, Peabody, Masai. asaimors to @liessley W. Stone,

Lynn, Mass.

Application October 10, 1935, Serial No. 44,318

transportation of merchandise and containers.

therefor, and more particularly to means for loading and securing road vehicles such as automotive equipment on railway cars for transportation thereon and for removing said vehicles from said carsr v One of the objects of the present invention is to provide novel apparatus whereby merchandise and containers therefor may be transported,

particularly over long distances, at minimum expense and with a minimum of handling, said apparatus being so constructed as to be inexpensive, durable and reliable and adapted to be readily installed on and removed from standard highway and railway equipment.

'In the transportation of merchandise by railways. the usual practice has been toload the same onto a road vehicle for conveyance to'a railway station where the merchandise is, again handled in transferring the load to a railway car. At the destination, the same loading and unloading operations are repeated in the reverse order. These operations require the employment of personnel which is unnecessary when the same goods are transported from source to destination by motor vehicles, and materially enhance the cost of rail transportation. Additionally. repeated handling of merchandise invariably results in injury to and loss of the same, as well as in loss of time in the transportation thereof.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide novel means whereby the above noted disadvantages in and objections to the present modes of transportation are overcome.

Another object of this invention is to provide novel means whereby a road vehicle, suchas a trailer, may be readily loaded on and removed from a railway carby a singleman with utmost ease and rapidity. I

It has been proposed heretofore to transport trailers and like vehicles on railway cars, but such proposals have involved the provision of complicated mechanisms, specially made railway rolling stock, and specially equipped loading platforms. Additionally, apparatus heretofore provided for securing vehicles of this nature on railway cars has not been practical and reliable and has not been such as to insure the safe transportation of goods and equipment.

Accordingly, another object is to provide novel apparatus for supporting and securing road vehicles, such as automotive equipment, on-railway cars in such manner as to insure the safety of personnel and the safe transportation of equipment and merchandise.

A further object is to provide'novel apparatus whereby motor vehicles, trailers and the like which are now in use, as well asspecially built vehicles, may be inexpensively and quickly equipped for transportation on existing railway cars that are in turn equipped with novel securing and supporting means which maybe readily attached to and removed from the cars without altering or damaging said cars in any way whatsoever.

A still further object is to provide simple and inexpensive apparatus for loading and securing individual containers on railway carsysaid ap-' paratus being also rugged and dependable.

Another object is to provide a novel method of loading and securing motor vehicles, trailers and the like on railway rolling stock. Still another object is to provide a novel fifth wheel construction on a motor tractor whereby a trailer may be elevated independently of the movement of said tractor.

The above and other objects and novel features will more fully appear from the following detail description when taken in connection'with the accompanying-drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being primarily had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein'like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with parts broken away, showing a trailer supported on a railroad flat car;

Fig. 2 is a planview, with parts broken away, of a motor tractor which may be used for moving the trailer of Fig. 1 on and off the flat car;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the tractor and novel elevating fifth wheel mechanism of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a partial rear view; with parts broken away, of the tractor of Fig. 3, showing one form of adapter which may be used on spring supported motor vehicles or trailers in accordance with the invention;

' Fig. 5 is a top plan, with parts broken away, of one form of turntable which may be employed in carrying out the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partly in section, taken on line G--6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is adetail view, partly in section and with parts broken away, taken'substantially on line 1-1 of Fig. 5 when a vehicle is mounted -on the turntable;

Fig. 8 is a detail view, with parts broken away, of an adapter mounted on one type of trailer now in common use;

Fig. 9 is a detail view, taken substantially on line 9-9 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 10 is a top plan of one form of front support for a trailer which may be employed in practicing the invention;

Fig. 11 is an end view, partly in section, taken on line ll-H of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a side view of the apparatus of Fig. 10 with a phantom showing of portions of a V trailer;

Fig. 13 is a detail view taken on line lit-.43 of Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a partial plan view, with parts broken away, of a modified form of turntable which may be employed; and

Fig. 15 is a sectional view taken on line l5-l5 of Fig. 14.

A single embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings, by way of example, in a form suitable for loading and securing a motor vehicle trailer supported by wheels at only one end, on a railway flat car. As shown in Fig. 1,

' a trailer comprising a body portion l5, normally supported at the rear by two longitudinally spaced pairs of wheels I6, is mounted on a railway flat car i! for transportation. The forward end of body l5 has an inset l5a at the bottom thereof and is adapted to extend over the rear portion of a motor tractor, the term tractor 1 being used herein to include any mobile power device for moving a trailer such, for example, as the one illustrated in Fig. 2. A draw pin I8 is provided on said body for attachment to what is commonly called the fifth wheel on the tractor, whereby the latter may transport the trailer along a highway.

The over-all height of the railway ear and trailer is, of course, limited by the minimum headroom under overhead bridges and tunnels along the railroad. It is desirable, therefore, to support the trailer as near to the ground or railway car fioor as is compatible with safe movement of the same on a highway in order that a maximum load may be carried. It is also desirable to mount the body of the trailer or other vehicle'as low as practicable for the purpose of lowering the center of gravity of the load to thus minimize any swaying or upsetting moments. In the form of trailer illustrated, this result is attained by mounting the wheels IS on each side of the trailer on a rocking beam I 3. Body l5 rests on a chassis frame which is in turn secured to and supported by a. trunnion tube or axle l9a which is journalled in beams l9 at points below the axles of wheels I6. Such construction is common on trailers now in use and is accordingly not shown and described in detail. Another advantage in employing said rocking beam construction lies in the fact that spring suspension which would facilitate swaying motion of the body is dispensed with, thereby rendering it practicable to attach adapters, hereinafter deaso-aee'r body ll may be lifted clear of supporting and locking means therefor to be hereinafter describedis illustrated (Figs. 2 and 3) as comprising a bed plate 29 securely mounted on or constitutins a part of the chassis 2| of a motor tractor, only the rear portion of the latter being shown. A second plate 22 is pivotally secured at the after edge thereof to plate 29 by any suitable means, such as pins 23, and has a pair of laterally spaced bearing brackets 24 formed integrally therewith which have high points adjacent the center of said plate 22 for rotatably supporting a cross-shaft 25. Mounted on said shaft for pivotal movement therewith is a platform plate 26 which is adapted to make direct contact with a plate 21 secured to the bottom of trailer body i5 and surrounding draw pin I9.

Platform 26 is eccentrically mounted on shaft so as to assume a position inclining away from body l5 when truck 2| is backed underneath the same and is provided with a slot 29 that gradually decreases in width to guide draw pin it into some suitable gripping device such as crab claws 29. The latter are adapted to be held in closed position about pin l9 by means of a wedge 30 to thereby pivotally connect the trailer to the tractor. It will be noted that by the cooperation of plate 21 with the inclined platform 26 the forward end of trailer IE will be raised several inches when the tractor is backed into connecting position. For the purpose 0 trailer a greater amount than it is, easible to do in the above manner, plate 22 is constructed with the forward end thereof bending upwardly away from bed plate 20, and suitable means such as a fluid pressure motor are provided for pivoting plate 22 about pins 23 to thereby raise the entire fifth wheel structure and hence body ii.

In the embodiment illustrated, .the fluid pressure motor employed comprises a fluid pressure cylinder 3| in which a piston carrying a piston rod 32 is adapted to be reciprocated. A cross bar 33 is pivotally secured to the outer end of rod 32 and has a roller 34 mounted on each end thereof to engage the top and bottom of plates 20 and 22, respectively. Thus, as rod 32 and rollers 34 are moved to the right (Fig. 3) by fluid pressure in cylinder 3|, plates 22 and 26 will be raised to any desired point between the full and dotted line positions thereof. Motor 3|, 32 may raising the v be connected to a suitable fluid pressure pump (not shown) adapted to be actuated by'the tractor motor, such pumps being now in common use on motor driven vehicles.

The invention also comprehends novel apparatus for safely securing vehicles and containers such as trailer IS on a railway car H, which means are so constructed as to be readily and detachably mounted on standard railway cars without interfering withthe utility of said cars for other purposes and to permit easy and quick loading of the trailer onto said cars from any point on a platform (not shown) of substantially the same height as and located at either side of car H. In lieu of a platform, the railway tracks may be sunk below the surface of the ground so that the railway car floor and the ground will be on the same level, thereby affording a large space for operating the motor vehicle. In one embodiment illustrated, the nove1 means for securing the rear end of the trailer to the car comprise a circular bed plate 35 (Figs. 5 to 7) adapted to lie flat on car I! and be secured thereto by a plurality of arms 36 having downwardly projecting portions 31 at the outer ends thereof extending into stake pockets 38 on the side of said car and held in position by means of suitable clamps 39. Arms 35 may be adjustably secured to plate 35, if desired, in order that rear of the same is on car I1, a turntable comprising a circular platform plate 40 is rotatably secured to bed plate 35 by means of bolt 42 extending through the hubs of said plates. Turntable plate 40 may, if desired, be eccentrically mounted on pivot 42, but the latter is preferably centrally located and said plate is held against any tipping forces and in close sliding engagement with bed plate 35 by means of a plurality,

of brackets 43. Mounted on or formed integrally with plate 44 are a pair of parallel tracks or supporting members 44, the distance between the outer sides of said tracks being such that the wheels of any vehicle desired to be transported on car II will straddle said tracks. Each of the tracks or ramps 44 has an inclined surface 44a at the forward end thereof, a central horizontal surface 44b, and a notch 440 formed by an overhanging, forwardly extending lip 44d at the after endthereof.

In order to prevent scuffing of the tires in the process of loading the trailer onto the car and to prevent any swaying motion while en route as a result of the resiliency of said tires, it is desirable to support the trailer by means other than said tires while the trailer is in transit. Means are accordingly provided on the body or chassis of trailer l5 for cooperating with tracks 44 to raise wheels l6 clear of car I! and hold the trailer against movement in any direction relative to the turntable. Such means, as shown, are constituted by adapter blocks 45- securely attached to and extending downwardly from the trailer chassis, such as from channel beams 46, and preferably surrounding trunnion tube I 9a. The lower faces of blocks 45 have an inclined surface 45a and a horizontal surface 45b adapted to cooperate with surfaces 44a and 44b, respectively, of track 44. The after end of said blocks terminate in lips 450 which are adapted to mesh with notches 440 (Fig. 6) and thereby hold the trailer body against any tipping or upward movement and against rearward movement. It will, of course, be understood that blocks 45 and ramps 44 may be so proportioned that when the same are interlocked for securing vehicle l5 in position, the body may be raised only enough to take part of the weight off the tires, or, if desired,

said blocks and ramp may serve only as securing means.

For the purpose of properly aligning tracks 44 and blocks 45 as the vehicle is backed onto the turntable and for holding the after end of said vehicle against lateral movement on car I! while in transit, suitable guidingand aligning means are provided on saidtracks and blocks. Such means as illustrated comprise guide members "secured to or formed integrally with the outer sides of tracks 44. Said members extend forwardly beyond the edge of plate 40 and curve inwardly so that when the same are engaged by the trailer wheels IS, the turntable will be turned into alignment and the trailer will be guided to its proper position. Flange member 41 also extends upwardly andflares outwardly from surfaces 44a and 44b, thereby serving to guide blocks 45 into proper engagement with tracks 45 and in addition holu one trailer against lateral movement. For this same purpose, some outwardly flaring curved flanges 49 may be extended downwardly from the inner sides of blocks 45 in the manner best illustrated in Fig. '7.

.To prevent forward movement of the trailer relative to the turntable after blocks 45am in mesh with tracks or supporting members 44, suitable locking means are provided, oneform of which comprises locking members 49 pivotally mounted in slots which are centrally located in tracks 44. The free ends of members 49 are arcuate and when the same are in raised position as seen in Fig. 6, said members engage similar curved surfaces at the forward lower corners of blocks 45. Looking members 49 may be normally held in operative position by suitable resilient means or, in the form shown, by gravity through the medium of levers 50 which extend through openings in ramp blocks 44 and project into slots in said locking members. Levers 50 are keyed to a common shaft 5| and one of said levers is provided with along handle portion 50a which is sufficiently long and heavy to normally hold members 49 in raised orlocking position. Thus,

when the trailer is backed onto the turntable.

members 49 are automatically depressed by engagement with blocks 45 and are automatically moved to operative position as soon as said blocks are in proper mesh with supports 44.

Secured to handle 50a is a small catch 52 which engages an angle bracket 53 on plate when the turntable is in a fore and aft or transit position on the car (Fig. 5). Locking means are thus provided which render it impossible to raise handle 50a. and thereby release locks 49 when a trailer is in transit on a railway car.

Gravity controlled locking means for holding turntable 40, 44 in a fore and aft or transit position are also shown (Fig. 9) as comprising a lock bolt 54 pivotally mounted on bed plate 35 and adapted to extend into a radial slot in plate 40. To insure bolt 54 falling toward locked position whenever the same is released, the pivoted end thereof is provided with a projecting portion 55 which engages plate 35 and prevents said bolt being raised beyond a vertical position.

If desired, suitable resilient means may be provided for normally maintaining bolt 54 in looking position. A pair of angle brackets 56 and 51, having aligned eyes therein, may be secured to bolt 54 and plate 40, respectively, to accommodate a lock 58 such as, for example, a padlock for positively holding said boltin locking position.

After the rear of the trailer has been backed onto turntable 40, 44 and locked in position, the forward end thereof is swung into position by a tractor or by other suitable means to hereafter appear, the rear of the trailer being supported by and pivoting with the turntable. In order to permit the use of the tractor in a, normal manner for positioning the front end of the trailer and thereby reduce the time required for loading as well as eliminate the necessity for specially designed loading equipment, novel means are provided for supporting and securing said front end on the car, which means will not interfere with the necessary movements of the tractor. As shown, such means comprise a pair of supporting blocks 59 joined by webs 69 and secured to car (I by means of arms Bl, which extend into stake pockets 38 and. are made secure by clamps 39. and U-bolts 62, which extend through the floor of car l1 and encompass web 60, may be employed as securing means, if desired.

Novel locking means which are rendered. operative by the/weight of the vehicle and which are incapable of being released while said vehicle provided with a' slot 63 in which a locking pawl or member 64 is pivotally mounted on a pin 65. The outer end of pawl 64 (Fig. 11) has an upwardly projecting portion 66, said portion having outer end of member 64.

" pawl 14 automatic.

a substantially vertical wall 61 adapted to engage the side of trailer body l5 and a curved or cam surface 68 adapted to be engaged by the lower corner of body l5 as the front end thereof is swung into position to thereby depress the outer end of member 64 will be moved to raised or locking position when body [5 is resting on blocks 59, said member is provided with a nib 69 which extends above the upper surface of said blocks whenever the outer end 66 of member 64 is depressed. Thus, when body I5 is lowered into engagement with nib 69, the weight thereof is effective to pivot member 64 to locking position. For additional assurance, a weighted portion may be provided on the inner end of member 64 to hold the same in locked position by gravity or a suitable spring may be provided for this purpose. If desired, the raised portion 66 of pawl 64 may be caused to extend into a recess II in the side of body l5 to thereby hold the latter against longitudinal, as well as lateral, movement.

In addition to the foregoing locking means, any moving or shifting of the forward end of the vehicle or container may be prevented by the provision of a pair of lugs 12 mounted on and projecting downwardly from the bottom of body l6 and adapted to project into recesses 13 in blocks 59. If desired, upwardly projecting lugs complementary'to recesses formed in body l5 may be provided on blocks 59.

Gravity or spring controlled locking means may also be provided for holding the front end of the trailer against upward movement. One suitable form of such means includes a pawl 14 pivotally mounted at 15 on a forwardly extending portion 16 of web 60. Said pawl is provided with a hooked portion at the upper end thereof which is adapted to engage a'br'acket 11 secured to body 15. Preferably, the weight of pawl 14 is so distributed with respect to pivot I5 that it normally assumes an operative or looking position, as indicated by full lines in Fig. 12 The outer edge of bracket 11 is curved upwardly to insure a good grip by pawl 14 and to cooperate with the curved upper end of said pawl for moving the latter to the dotted line position (Fig. 12) when the trailer is lowered into position on blocks 59 thereby rendering the locking operation of If desired, an arm 18 may be secured to said pawl adjacent the floor of car H for engagement by the rear wheels of the tractor so that said pawl may be thus automatically disengaged from catch 11 when the trailer is being removed from car IT. A bracket 19 on web 66, having an eye adapted to register with an eye in pawl 14 when the latter is in latched position may be provided for the accommodation of a lock 80, if desired. Locks similar to lock I4, 11

15 may also be employed at the side of body l5.

To insure that the A novel method of loading trailer II on railway flat car lI comprehended by this invention consists in drawing the former onto a loading plat-- .form- (not shown) adjacent either side of said car by means of a tractor 2|, the trailer being pivotally connected thereby by means of draw pin i8 and crab claws 29. Turntable 40, 44 is turned to a suitable angular position relative to the center line of car l1 and the trailer backed toward the same. Guiding flanges 41 and 46 insure proper alignment and full width engagement of blocks 45 with ramps 44. Blocks 45 first engage locking members 49, depressing the same, and thereafter engage tracks or ramps 44. After inclined surfaces 44a and 45a engage, continued backward movement of the trailer toward the turntable results in said trailer being lifted by the motive power of the tractor, thereby transferring the support of the load from wheels l6 to supporting members 44. Wheels l6 need only be raised sufiiciently to relieve the same of the load, a small fraction of an inch being suflicient or, as pointed out above, said wheels may remain in contact with the turntable. Further backward movement of the trailer brings lip 450 into mesh with notch 44c, whereupon members 49 are automatically moved by gravity to locking position. It will be noted that blocks may be dispensed with, if desired, and trunnion or axle I911 caused to directly engage tracks 44 and fit into a suitably shaped notch I 440 therein.

The rear of the trailer being thus locked in position on turntable 40, 44, the front wheels of the tractor are cramped and the forward end of said trailer swung to a position over supporting blocks 59 by backing movement of said tractor. It may, however, be found desirable to cramp the wheels of the tractor and start it turning as soon as body I5 is supported by the'turntable, l. e., somewhat before blocks 45 mesh completely with members 44, it being understood that plate 40' may be wide enough to accommodate the wheels of the vehicle. Preferably, the portions 66 of pawls 64 extend above the bottom of the trailer body when the front end of the latter is supported by the tractor. When this is the case, the trailer body engages cam surface 68 of the pawl on the near side and depresses the. same until said body is swung to a position vertically above its normal in transit position, i. e., into engagement with surface '61 of the pawl 64 on the far side of the support. Both of the pawls 64 are then held in raised position by weights"!!! and serve as means for indicating the proper lateral position of the trailer body as well as means to guide lugs 12 into recesses 13.

After the front of body I5 is positioned between pawls 64, 66, crab claws 29 are released by withdrawing wedge and the tractor is slowly driven from beneath the trailer. Plate 21 slides down inclined plate 26 and the trailer body is gradually and easily lowered into position on blocks 59 as the tractor moves away. As body l5 moves downwardly, pawl 14 and bracket I1 cooperate as above noted to automatically lock said body, against vertical movement and the weight of the body on nibs 69 positively holds pawls 64 in looking position. y

In removing the trailer from car l1, tractor 2| is backed under the forward end thereof from a platform at the side, of the car, the rear tractor wheels engaging arm 18 to move pawl I4 out of engagement with bracket 11. The cooperation of plates 26 and 21, as the tractor backs under body I5, is effective to lift the trailer body. several inches, and crab claws 29 move into engagement withdraw pin I 8. If the normal height of the platform 26 is not sufllcient to raise lugs 12 clear of blocks 59, hydraulic ram 3|, 32 may be employed to raise the trailer body to the desired height, in the manner heretofore pointed out.

When lugs I2 are clear of recesses 13, the pawl 64 is depressed and the outer end of the tractor driven forward onto the platform to swing body I5 with turntable 40, 44 so that said body will be directed off car I]. Handle 50a is then raised to depress locks 49 and release blocks 45 for forward movement, whereupon the trailer maybe drawn off the turntable and onto the highway for transportation by the tractor to its ultimate destination.

If desired, turntable 40, 44 and supporting block 59 may be readily and quickly removed from car I1 by removing clamps 38 and 82 to thereby render said car available for other uses in its original condition.

If desired, the forward end of the trailer may be swung from the loading platform onto car I! and vice versa on a pair of extensible andretractible props 80a secured to body I5 in any suitable manner and having castors 80b on the bottoms thereof. Props 80a are preferably of the hydraulic type, and any suitable pump means, such as a hand pump (not shown), may be provided for actuating the same to raise and lower body I5. Other suitable means such as a cable and snatch blocks, a draw or push bar used in conjunction with a tractor, a dolly or a mobile jack may also be employed for swinging the one end of a vehicle on and off car I! while the other end is supported by turntable 40.

When spring suspended vehicles are equipped for loading the same on railway cars in accordance with the present invention, it is desirable to support the load on the turntable independently of the vehicle springs in order to minimize swaying tendencies and to insure the support of thevehicle on an even keel.

be secured to the vehicle chassis, such as to channel beams 8i, either ahead of or behind axle 82. The lower portions of blocks 45' are constructed in the same manner as the lower portion of blocks 45 for cooperation with ramps 44 and extend below the vehicle axle. Guys such as rods 83 may be provided for rigidly securing blocks 45" in position.

In a spring suspended vehicle, the chassis and hence the lower ends of blocks 45' will, by reason of the flexing of the vehicle springs under load, be held closer to the ground when said vehicle is loaded than when the same is empty. To correct for this variable height which is dependent on the vehicle load and to thus insure engagement of'adapters 45' with inclined surfaces 44a and.

hence a lifting of the vehicle irrespective of its load condition, said inclined surfaces are extended to a point quite near the surface of turntable plate 49. It will also be noted that since blocks 45' are secured to the vehicle body and support the same independently of the vehicle springs, the body of said vehicle will always be maintained on an even keel when the same is supported on ramps 44 even though said body is carrying a heavier load on one side than on the other.

In the operation of loading a self-contained motor vehicle, as distinguished from a "trailer which is adapted to be transported by means of a detachable tractor, said vehicle is backed under Accordingly, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, adapter blocks 45 may its own or other power onto turntable 40-, 44 in the same manner as a, trailer, and is automatically locked in position thereon as above described. Thereafter, the forward end of the vehicle may be swung onto the railway car by any, suitable means such as a dolly or a mobile jack.

In the normal operation, of a railway train, the cars are subjected to severe shocks, particularly in starting and stopping, thereby causing ashlfting of loose merchandise and placing great strains on the securing means for. other merchandise. This often results in the mutilation of or injury to both merchandise and equipment. In order to minimizesaid shifting and prevent injury to merchandise and vehicles being transported in accordance with this invention, the novel supporting and securing means above described may be provided with shock absorbing means whereby the entire vehicle is permitted to move under the control of yielding means, such as spring buffers. One form of turntable employing such means is illustrated in Figs, 14 and 15, wherein ramp 44', similar in construction to ramps-44,

above described, is slidably mounted for fore and aft movement on plate 40 by means of angle bars 84 which extend over flanges 85 on each side of said ramp and are secured to plate 40 by any suitable means, such as rivets 86. Said longitudinal sliding movement of ramp 44' is limited by suitable blocks 81 also riveted to plate 40 adjacent the ends of bars 84.

In the form shown, the shock absorber means associated with ramp 44 comprises a pair of springs 88 and 89 interposed between lugs 90 and 9|, respectively, which are secured to plate 40, and a lug 92 secured to or formed integrally with said ramp. Said springs are normally balanced and tend to hold ramp 44 in a central position, springs 88 serving to gradually absorb and dissipate any shock tending to shift the vehicle or merchandise therein in a forward direction, and spring 89 serving to dissipate the force of a shock acting in the otherdirection. v

When the turntable of Fig. 14 is employed, it

will be noted that recesses I3 in the front support blocks 49 must be elongated to permit the necessary longitudinal movement of body I5 together with turntable 40, 44' when the same are, subjected to sudden shocks. Likewise, the vertical wall portion 61 of pawls 64 must be flush with the side walls of body I5 in lieu of projecting into recesses II, and hold-down locks 14, 71 must be placed at the side of the vehicle instead of being centrally located, as shown in Fig. 12.

The engaging surfaces of body I5 and blocks 59 may have relatively high coeflicients of friction in order that the weight of the vehicle on said blocks will frictionally resist an'ylongitudinal movement thereof and hence operate as shock absorbing means and as means for damping the action of springs 88 and 89 after a shock has been experienced. Shock absorbing means may also be employed in conjunction with front supnow in use may be loaded and transported on existing railway-equipment. A more economical mode of transportation is thus rendered feasible whereby the merchandise is subjected to minimum handling and the possibilities of injury to merchandise and equipment are greatly reduced.

Although only a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described indetail, it is to be expressly understood that the same is not limited thereto but that various changes may be made in the design and arrangement of parts illustrated, as will now be apparent to those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, in some types of motorvvehicles and trailers, adapter blocks 45 may be secured directly to the axle housings, or said adapters may be dispensed with and the axle housings themselves be caused to directly contact and slide onto ramps 44, For a definition of the limits of the invention, reference will be had primarily to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus for supporting a road vehicle on a railway car, a turntable mounted on the latter, means on said turntable for supporting one end of said vehicle, whereby the other end of said vehicle may be moved in an are about the pivot of said turntable while supported independently thereof, means'mounted on said car for supporting said other end of said vehicle independently of said turntable, and means coacting with said last-named means for holding said other end of said vehicle against movement in at least one direction.

2. In apparatus for supporting a road vehicle on a railway car, a turntable mounted'on the latter, means on said turntable for supporting one end of said vehicle, means mounted on said car for supporting the other end of said vehicle independently of said turntable, and means held in operative position by the weight of said vehicle for holding the latter against movement in at least one direction on said supporting means.

3. In apparatus for supporting a road vehicle on a railway car, a turntable mounted on the.

latter, means on said turntable for supporting one end of said vehicle, whereby the other end of said vehicle may be moved in an arc about the pivot of said turntable while supported inde pendently thereof, means mounted on said car for supporting said other end of said vehicle independently of said turntable, means coacting with said last-named meansfor holding said other end of said vehicle against movement in a horizontal plane, and locking means for holding said vehicle against vertical movement, 4. The combination with a vehicle normally supported by wheels at one end, of a turntable comprising means for supporting said end of the vehicle, whereby the other end of said vehicle may be moved about the pivot of said turntable while supported independently thereof, and means for supporting said other end of said vehicle, including means engaging the vehicle for holding the same against movement with said turntable.

5. In apparatus for transporting a vehicle on a railway car, means for supporting the forward end of said vehicle independently of any wheels mounted thereon, and locking means adapted to cooperate with the vehicle body for holding said vehicle against substantial movement in at least one direction on said supporting means, said locking means being held in looking position by the weight of said vehicle.

6. In apparatus for supporting a road vehicle on a railway car, rotatable means for supporting one end of said vehicle independently of tht? wheels thereon, releasable locking means for holding said vehicle on said supporting means, and means for rendering said locking means nonreleasa-ble when said first-named means is in a predetermined position. v

7. In apparatus for transporting a road vehicle on-a railway car, rotatable means, means on said 'rotatable means for supporting one end of said vehicle independently of the wheels on the latter. stationary supporting means for the other end of said vehicle mounted on the car, and means coacting with said stationary means for holding the vehicle against-movement relative thereto.

8. In apparatus for transporting a. road vehicle on a railway car, rotatable means for supporting one end of said vehicle independently of the wheels on the latter, stationary supporting means for the other end of said vehicle, and locking means mounted on said stationary supporting means and rendered non-releasable by the weight of the vehicle for holding the latter against movement on said stationary supporting means.

9. In apparatus for transporting a. road vehicle on a railway car, a turntable on said car, means on said turntable'for supporting one end of said vehicle, means stationarily mounted on said car for supporting the otherend of said vehicle, and yielding mga hicle relative to said turntable.

10. A method of loading a motor vehicle trailer on a railway flat car which consists in pivotally connecting one end of said trailer to a motor driven tractor, backing the other end of the trailer onto said car from the side of the latter by means of the motive power of said tractor, lifting said other. end of the trailer upon a rotatable support by means of said motive power and the co-action of a part of the trailer with inclined plane means on said rotatable support,

swinging said first-named end about the pivot of said rotatable support by the backing movement of said tractor, disconnecting said tractor I and trailer, and driving thetractor from beneath said first-named end of the trailer to lower the latter onto a support therefor on the car.

11. A method of loading a motor vehicle trailer on a railway flat car which consists in pivotally connecting one end of said trailer to a motor driven tractor, backing the other end 'of the trailer onto said car from the side of the latter by means of the motive power of said tractor, lifting said other end of the trailer upon a rotatable support by means of said motive power,

swinging said first-named end of the trailer about the pivot of said rotatable support, and lowering said first-named end upon a support therefor on the car.

12. A method of loading a trailer on a railway car which consists in backing the rear end of the trailer onto said car from the side of the latter by means of detachable power means, lifting said rear end upon a rotatable support by means of the motive power of said power means, and swinging the front end of the trailer about the pivot of said rotatable support and onto a support therefor on the car.

ARTHUR F. DOOLEY. CALVIN H. STONE.

ns resisting movement of said ve- 

